Friday, October 28, 2011

The Bella Bambino Brings Couture to the Sandbox {+ Giveaway!}

Earlier this month, my 3-year daughter was delighted to be asked to be in her uncle and aunt-to-be's wedding next June. She was over-the-moon excited to hear the news and I was excited to find her the most darling little dress to wear for the occasion.

As luck would have it, after finding out this exciting news, Paper and Cake opened my eyes to The Bella Bambino. Seriously, this site has such darling clothing. And you know what this mom likes...it's affordable!

I instantly liked The Bella Bambino on Facebook, and you will never believe what happened? I won a $50 e-gift certificate! And that's just for being the 200th "like" on Facebook. Come to find out, The Bella Bambino gives a $50 e-gift certificate to every 50th "like" (200, 250, 300, etc.) on Facebook.

But wait, there's more. All of the clothing from The Bella Bambino is handmade in either Los Angeles, Chicago, or New York. Made in the USA - that is unheard of in this day and age. And guess what, I love it!

Then there is the story behind the founder of The Bella Bambino, Audrey. The first sentence of the About Us page on the website reads, "Everything I learned in life, I learned from Miss Piggy." I don't know about you, but I grew up loving Miss Piggy and Smurfette, so I thought it was quite endearing to hear this from her.

Audrey also told me, "My mother saved so many of my pieces growing up in a large cedar chest that she gave me when I was older. When the new wave of nieces and nephews and my godchildren flooded my life a few years ago- I noticed the market lacked classic, timeless pieces that could be passed down and still be fashionable like the ones my mom saved for me. The market was filled with itchy import overpriced dresses. I wanted to be the opposite- I created and modeled my store after what I would want: quality fabrics, age appropriate/ fashionable/ timeless designs, and affordable price points. I specialize in one niche area: Special Occasion wear for children from newborn to pre-teen (and plus sizes)."

While The Bella Bambino is primarily an online store, they do have a showroom in Downtown Los Angeles and one coming in early 2012 to NYC. (Both by appointment only.) Ground shipping is free to anywhere in the U.S., and returns or exchanges to unworn items with tags still attached are accepted for 30 days after purchase.

After looking at the selection of dresses, I am not sure which one I will choose for my daughter. But I do know that it will be adorable and well-made. They even have 5-piece suits for boys priced at $48.50. Unless my son has to wear a tux, it looks like he will be getting his wedding couture from The Bella Bambino as well!